Contents

ƒ The Forsakens Lament ƒ

"Life is a cruel joke, but whoever started it, they forgot to even finish it. And so, it must be finished in the same way it began" ~ Derelict Red

We are abandoned. It is this emptiness, this realization, that caused our guild to come into existence. The world may look beautiful, and the stars may shine brightly, but what lies beyond them in that dreadful darkness? Many will point to the gods, the Almighty ones who created us; powerful beings hovering over us, unseen, guiding us from above the blackness of space. Many heros hope that one day, their gods will reveal the answers, the purpose of life, and a beautiful paradise. Yet what if our own gods have no idea of what is happening? They have told us so. Like everything, they were created. Somewhere up the line, past the old gods and the ancients, there is a missing link in creation. The gods feel this void, the same emptiness that humans can feel. They tried to deny it at first. They created humans and heros to rule over, and built worlds and planets to hold authority on. All of this in an frantic attempt to claim validity and meaning. However, it was futile. They gave the human species something to worship, but they had nothing to serve themselves. Because of this divide, goddom began to fracture. Some gods became evil, and evil became their master. Some gods denied their brokenness, and tried to maintain order and goodness. And a few fell into bitterness and despair. These few gods and goddesses confided the great secret to heros and heroines. The gods have no purpose. They have no answers. They have told us that there is certainly no paradise. The shortcomings of their gods broke the heros' hearts. If gods hold faith in nothing, how can we?

A Little History

Derelict Red, the instigator, was charged with blasphemy against the order of gods, for being weak and brewing faithlessness among mortals. The gods survive off the prayers of their subjects, and Derelict Red was proclaimed guilty for reckless and devious endangerment of the natural structure. For the sin of doubt, he was banished from the realm of Godville, and into a seperate, formless reality. His brother, Malik Red, was also banished for aiding and abetting, but he was forced into sleep and buried deep under the ground. The few other gods involved were punished, but were pardoned shortly. All heros who had listened to the dissenting gods were quickly culled, silencing any remains of the awful truth.

This was thousands of years ago. Derelict Red, in the midst of his prison, was still able to feel the death of his hero. For years on end, he was trapped in turmoil over the death of his hero who he had loved. Swimming in turbid darkness for a millennia, all he had was his guilt and despair, over his hero's death and over an empty existence. Derelict slowly changed, hate corrupting him. He began to absorb the formless matter around him, and it twisted into his will. With all of his might and bitterness, he lashed out and broke into Godville, stabbing a mortal human and dragging the poor person back into the dark realm. From there, Derelict Red subjected the human to his own misery and torment, and molded himself a new champion. Soon, after only a few years, the god had created a monster in his image. The Epitome of Misery was born. Derelict Red still could not escape his prison, but he could force his hero out into Godville. The Epitome had one mission: to paint his Lord's likeness over the land and weaken the barrier that held Derelict Red back. However, he was only one hero against thousands of gods.

The Reason We Bleed

Thus, Derelict Red commissioned The Forsakens Lament, a proclamation for all gods and heros against existence to rally together. Against creation, against life, and against the universe we stand embittered and defiant. Will you stand with us? Will you spite your own life and rampage towards destruction. Only one thing is sure if you join us. We will bring the Apocalypse.

This guild is for the the gods and the heros that have given up on life, and given in to hopelessness. This guild is for the apathetic, who don't care anymore. This guild is for the nihilists, the ones who realize their pointlessness. This guild is for the evil ones, who embrace destruction and death. The noble and righteous are welcome here, for we will drag them down.

In the end, this guild exists to destroy the universe. Our enemies, those who love life, may paint us as weak and hopeless miscreants, but that is their mistake. We are angry and hollow shells that will explode and such them into our bitterness and emptiness. We are the Forsaken. And thus, we will make life itself Forsake those who love it, and bring them to their knees in despair. Again, we say again, we will bring the Apocalypse.

...Yet we still have fun here. But first some important information!

Joining The Forsakens Lament

We accept you as you are: broken, rejected, bitter, and angry. We will take your broken pieces and place them on our pedestal of despair, and celebrate your hopelessness. At The Forsakens Lament, we turn none away, and even the most stoically noble will soon be tainted by our pessimism and cynicism. It is a very simple process to join our guild, and we cheerfully welcome you as your friendly neighborhood nihilists!

First, make sure that your hero is not fighting monsters or dawdling in a town, but rather, morosely wandering in the wilderness.

Without worrying about canceling your current quest, command your hero to "join "The Forsakens Lament" guild".

If your hero has not yet abandoned all hope and rejects joining our guild, persist. He will soon give in and resignedly subject himself to gnawing emptiness by joining our guild.

Thank you for your time and welcome to The Forsakens Lament!

Your hero will try to leave a few times. He can be dissuaded and discouraged by simply sending a "cancel quest" voice command... you can't escape.

Fighting In the Arena

Two duelers defining an awkward stalemate: "Oh dear! It appears as though we have both stabbed one another. Egads!"

Many think that since we have given up on life, we are weak. Our snarling emblem proves otherwise. That we are broken only makes us more deadly; we have nothing to lose and only death to gain and only hell to give. There are many established ways to fight in the Arena, but here at The Forsakens Lament we have our own styles:

The Nihilist: Your hero enters the arena, but neither you or him really feel like lifting arms. You have accepted death, and it does not matter if you give it or receive it. So you idly spectate or just leave as the hero gives and takes blood. In the end, does your win record matter? No. Nothing matters to you. And we accept this attitude perfectly. As long as you take some small efforts to inflict destruction, you belong with us. After all, The Nihilist has spent half of their power just to watch someone die.

The Psychopath: You are thrilled at the thought of blood. Your hero cuts and hacks in the name of pain. He is a sadistic masochist, and punishing him repeatedly drives him into a crazy, slicing frenzy. He doesn't even care if he dies. As long he causes pain, he feels sated. You will revive him anyways, and he can continue his massacre. If he loses his weapon in a fight, he will jump on his opponent and gnaw and scratch. Your win and loss ratio does not matter to you either, only that your battle count is high. As long as you have sufficient power for a few punishes, the Psychopaths are satisfied in the arena.

The Titan: Encouragement seems contrary to our guild, but this is simply not true. Some gods will prolong their heros lives so that they can maximize casualties, and this is a commendable goal. Your champion steps onto the battleground and steadfastly refuses to die. No matter how many times he is lacerated, his wounds bubble up and cauterize. He brings despair itself to the enemy, and through his own encouragement he discourages foes. Imagine this champion as a hulking behemoth, slowly lurching towards the cowering life-lover, immune to any strength the opponent can muster. This style values outlasting the enemy, and whether win or loss, know that the Titan will have sustained as much damage as five of our opponents could bear.

The Shadow: You deviously lurk in the dark. The opposing god gives a few encourages or punishes, then leaves, thinking that you are gone. You spring out of hiding, and viciously command your hero to strangle out his enemy. Your opponent panics, and frantically calls on his own god. But the arrogant bastard is long gone. Your hero laughs and begins to whittle down the isolated hero. Even when the enemy god does not leave, this style is no less dangerous. The Shadow will fight like a savage demon, and will scream out of the darkness to push the enemy god off his throne.

Of course, no god's style will exactly prescribe to what is written here. Some will be reckless, others cautious; some will only value wins, and others will kamikaze into combat. Never underestimate the power of your voice in the arena. The hero, caught up in the dirt and grime of battle, may not hear you most of the time, but when it really counts, he will suddenly feel your blood thirst and ferociously slam into his opponent. To aid in your struggle against existence, here are some helpful words to empower your hero:

Attack, Strike, Smite, Kick, Punch: These all have the same effects of painful damage. Pair one of these with a punish, and your hero can unleash frightening damage.

Heal, Restore, Replenish: Many Psychopaths adamantly refuse to use encourage, but sometimes a little more health can allow more bloodshed. If successful, these commands can allow enough edge for your hero to give a finishing smite.

Defend, Block: These commands should be used carefully, inserted right before your opponents coming turn, or attack. An aspiring Titan might increase his ethos if he can negate damage with a successful defend or block.

There are other commands and categories to be found. Explore the world and find your own techniques. Develop your own, personal fighting style, and brazenly defy all who strive against us. Become a Forsaken.

The Hierarchy

"Sometimes I like to watch the sunset. It's a nice red hue tonight, with a little bit of orange. Beautiful. Then I realize: It's not red enough. So I maul the nearest human and splash their blood onto the sunset. There. Much better" ~ Malik Red

You have heard our history, how we came to be. But our guild is not all about ancient history. Yes we were banished, yes life is futile, yada yada yada. We know that our history and background is important, but sometimes Derelict Red gets a little... wrapped up in old grudges. He forgets to have fun. You need to learn that you can enjoy your futility, thus our motto "Exalt our futility". Here at The Forsakens Lament we have a lot of different types. Some find it hard to maintain happiness in the context of our guild's mission (You know, the whole destroying the universe because it sucks thing), but you can still find inner joy in spite of our violent, homicidal tendencies. Just get out there, and meet some of your fellow guild mates! It's a big world out there, and a lot of maniacal psychopaths to share it with! If you need any advice or help, or just someone to talk to, contact one of the friendly, local Hierarchs in charge. We'll see what we can do!

Soliloqui is in charge of the serially lonely and the Nihilists. However, we are in this together. If you are feeling isolated and friendless, she can find you some fellow nihilists to share your existential dread with, or she can even talk to you herself. Soliloqui was originally put in charge of the abandoned heros and the eternally wandering, ethereal spirits, her purpose solely to keep records and count of them. It was a depressing job, seeing all those lost spirits drift about, and she quickly became nihilistically inclined. Liberating her from bureaucratic dreariness, Soliloqui was offered a job here at the Forsakens lament, where she instead could interact with her subjects. Now, she is free to take various polls on just how crappy you feel and how pointless it really is. Her hero, Toten Seele, a depressed, poetry-spouting ghost she nabbed from the afterlife (which is nothing, really. Ask Toten Seele, it sucks), is also great company if you enjoy cynical platitudes and never-ending pessimism!

A fearsome warrior, One of Paradox is the head dueler here at our guild. Her champion, Kuroraka, bestowed upon by her fearsome wrath, brings fear, pain, and some maimed appendages to the arena.

Forsaken Hall

Forsaken Hall is our refuge and haven. This is our escape. It is very secluded, and the closest town is Tradesburgh. The building is divided into separate living quarters for the different classes, but they can all meet together in our beautiful common areas, such as the dining room and grand hall. Please, come in and enjoy your new home away from the world. Please see the color-coordinated map to find your way around!

The Grand Hall (Gold, first floor)

The magnificent, Grand hall, what a beauty. This magnificent hall will bring you to tears as you enter our guild. With ornate pillars and sprawling, marble floors, you will be taken aback by it's grandeur. We advise you to appreciate as much beauty and wonder as you can... Before we attempt to destroy the planet, that is. This Grand Hall is a great way to socialize with your guildmates as you cheerfully admit your deepest woes and bitterness about the universe. We have provided comfortable yet tastefully appropriate chairs if you wish to sit your tired, forsaken body down, and bemoan the awfulness of the world into the late hours of the night with fellow depressed guildmates.

The Stairs

The stairs were included just because they are so majestic! Wouldn't you agree? Imagine walking up down those marble steps every night, and walking up them every night! Ready to face the new day after eating a hearty breakfast? Walk down the stairs, or maybe do a little dance and make a grand entrance. Guild members are encouraged to perform some sort of classy dance as they descend these stairs; research shows that this is uplifting for the moral. We included these stairs so that you might feel good about yourself as you trounce down them, ready to destroy the world!

Dining Room (Gold, second floor)

At the Forsakens Lament, we have decided it is best to dine in style. Thus our artistic and elaborate dining room was commissioned, in order to entertain a healthy sense of self-respect and pomposity among members. Even the paintings on the wall seem regal and to be enjoying themselves immensely. We have yet to find a full time cook, but remain calm, our raiding forces go out daily and pillage the finest beers and victuals. The Dining Room is a fine place to regale your guildmates with tales of your great sorrows and tribulations!

Living Quarters

Any organization like ours has goals, and to accomplish our these goals, we find it is best, and also encouraging, to arrange our people in a certain order. In this way, we can breed a meaningful sense of individuality yet companionship by classifying personalities and providing them their own living quarters. The classifications are the same as the previously discussed Arena styles: the Nihilist, the Psychopath, the Titan, and the Shadow. This is due to the fact that most fighting styles will derive from the hero's character themselves. However, if this sounds too strict or rigid, do not worry. This is merely an attempt to have unity among ourselves. Of course, many hero's will not find themselves exclusively one class. They may either choose the the nearest likeness to their personality, or they may entirely reject this notion and sleep anywhere they want, even the Grand Hall! This is perfectly acceptable. It might get cold on that marble floor though. The general idea is just that some people might not get along as well being roommates, like a righteous Titan snoring next to a maniacal Psychopath. Or a depressed Nihilist, in a sleepless existential crisis, next to a scheming Shadow, snickering evilly all night long! This is not meant to divide us, but merely, help you find the most like-minded hero who you both can feel resignedly forsaken together. We are looking for the most beneficial synergy we can find, so that using proper teamwork, we can obliterate existence, side by side!

The Psychopath Ward (Red)

The Psychopaths are lead by Malik Red. If you feel like this is the appropriate fit for you, then speak to Malik Red right away! He'll have you gleefully locked away in your private cell (Disclaimer: due to possible future growth, we might have to shove more than a few in each cell) right away! Don't worry, we are joking, you guys will have your own keys. We do keep a deadbolt on the outside, though, just in case you people decide to spritz out. Which you do. A lot. Moving on! If you feel you are ready to socially interact, then feel free to visit your neighbor's cell and discuss your hobbies and other interests, like wondering how blood each other has flowing your body. It can be like a sleep over, except it's a dimly-lit Mental ward where complete Psychopaths cackle throughout the night! If this sounds great to you, sign up now! We would really like to keep an eye on you!

The steadfast Titans are under the Goddess Cryptess. If you enjoying trampling the weak and righteously purveying death, see her immediately. She has a tomb with your name on it! Oh sorry, we don't mean she is going to kill you; she literally has a room full of tombs for you to sleep in. The Mausoleum can be reached by descending down a spiral staircase and into the gloomy crypt. You can even get your name engraved on a special plaque and have it placed on your personal tomb! We just hope you don't mind the dim lighting and the general moodiness of souls who believe it is their purpose to bring devastating justice to the world. But anyways! Get out of your tombs, and go visit the other Titans reposing in their deathbeds! Who knows, you might make a friend. Tombs come with customizable accessories also. Speak to Cryptess, and she can get you a fully sound-proof tomb, to mask your claustrophobic screams when you get locked in at night! Be warned, mornings are hell down there, as nobody feels good after sleeping encapsulated in a cold, hard tomb. Luckily, you are Titans, and you'll just shrug it off! Right?

This here attic belongs to the Nihilists, and is maintained by Soliloqui. The word maintained is used loosely here, as you can see by the picture. This is because Nihilists are sad and they do not really have the energy or presence of mind to organize their living quarter. The scarce furniture and scattered blankets on the floor represent what a Nihilist's mind looks like: bleak and barren. On most days, sun or rain, the Nihilists can be found slumped over, sitting on the floor and moaning dejectedly. Some might even be crying. Most, however, will just have a blank look on their faces. On especially bad days, they huddle up and seek any comfort they can from their gnawing emptiness. If this sounds great to you, and you desire to be dragged further into misery by fellow defeatists, trudge up the stairs into the Nihilist Attic. There will always be room on the floor for you to collapse, curl up, and sob. The Forsaken's Lament will take care of you.

As not to disturb their dark scheming and wickedness, the Shadows have their own pit with the Darkest Ninth. Nobody else but Shadows know what is down there, as nobody wants to jump into a dark hole. Plus the occasional sounds that drift up from down there are a bit offsetting. It is a very mysterious place, and if you like to be secretive and plot evilly, then jump right in! Hopefully you survive. It has been reported that when a Shadow skulks out of this hole, a wispy darkness can be seen trailing off their bodies. This is probably the result of regular group meetings that some Shadows have admitted to having, where they huddle together and collaborate on different strategies for corrupting as many souls as they can. If you want to get involved in a supportive peer group of heros obsessed with darkness and calamity, join the local community and pitch in. Take a dive into the Shadowpitt! Disclaimer: the Forsaken's Lament does not take responsibility for any items lost in the pit; it's really dark down there.

It is blocked by an large, stone plate. No one really knows what is down there. Only the Epitome of Misery goes down there, and a dimly-lit, wrecked hallway can be seen briefly whenever he moves through the plate.

As of this moment, this guild is still being studiously and diligently constructed. Please do not rewrite or edit at any point without permission. We do have a reputation to uphold. Toodles!